Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg
Reviewed by Gerti
This is the second young adult novel I've read by Elizabeth Eulberg. Her "Prom and Prejudice" was a clever send-up of Jane Austen's classic novel of British literature, "Pride and Prejudice". I loved that book, but found "Take a Bow" to be a bit lackluster, perhaps because I wasn't as interested int he subject matter.
The main character of this book is Emme Connelly, a red-headed, green-eyed beauty who does not like to be the center of attention. This contrasts with her best friend at the beginning, Sophie Jenkins, a star in the making, and the reason both girls attend a performing arts-oriented high school called CPA in New York City. Sophie seeks the spotlight as a singer, and the although Emme also loves music, she writes it instead, which make them a perfect partnership. Only Sophie isn't happy that Emme's star is rising at CPA, as Emme has become involved with three other guys and formed a band, Teenage Kicks, which despite the sad name is receiving mild success even outside school now that they are seniors.
in an attempt to get her name in the public eye, Sophie starts to date a former child star who in on the acting track at the school, a boy named Carter Harrison. She appears with him at all kinds of events, but is mad that the pictures are usually cropped to cut her out. She also has a musical rival at the school, so even when there are musical productions there, Sophe doesn't get the lead. her trump card is the original music that Emme writes for her, bus she abused the friendship. Sophie gets a new best friend, give her the credit for a great song Emme wrote her, and those girls trade catty e-mails about Emme that she accidentally sees. Nice girl Emme finally decides it's time to ditch this user loser.
Sophie tries to explain things away as she has done many times before to get back in Emme's good graces, but it's no good. Emme's star rises as she is a featured performer at CPA and gets accepted at Julliard. Sophie's nasty tricks finally do her in, as Emme refuses to help her anymore. Sprinkle this friend drama with a few cute boys, and you've pretty much got what this book is about.
While I do like Emme as a character, as well as the other three guys in the band (including Ethan, who love love loves Emme), Sophie is just too nasty to enjoy reading about. Eulberg breaks the book up into alternating chapters told from delusional Sophie is about Emme, blaming the latter for all her troubles (even though Emme has been nothing but supportive until the end), it is also distracting for the book to be splintered like that. i also disliked how Eulberg narrated many conversations in the book, a page-filling technique I think she took from David Levithan, who I've seen use it before. I don't like his books at all, and feel that the's been a negative influence on Eulberg as a writer, I have yet to read " The Lonely Hearts Club", written by her, but have my fingers crossed that it will again be as good as "Prom and Prejudice".
